Baby care for the first four months
First Four Months Baby Care
These are the most challenging months for me. After giving birth, the very important task of a mother is feeding his child. Because I gave birth via a caesarian section (CS), I was able to breast feed my baby after a day of my bed rest to make sure he gets the COLOSTRUM ( a thick yellow fluid, rich in protein, growth factors, and immune factors secreted by the mammary glands of all female mammals during the first few days of lactation).
FOR BREASTFEEDING
- For better milk production, repeatedly massage the breast all around towards the nipple.
- Apply warm compress to your breast so the milk flows easily.
- If your breasts are full, it is best to empty them by expressing.
- You can also take malunggay capsules to help you produce more milk. I recommend PRO-LACTA malunggay capsule, it is effective in my part.
- You can also use breast pump if the flow of the milk is slow and you can store breast milk in a bottle with it.
- Eat nutritious Foods. It is better to take meals with nutritious soup like Beef Soup with Veggies (Nilagang Baka), Tinolang manok and soup with seafood.
FOR BOTTLE FEEDING
- The baby needs tiny feed from time to time. Normally the standard milk bottle preparation is one scoop good for 1 fluid oz.
- Make sure you have complete bottle feeding equipment such as sterilizing tank, tongs for removing teats, and brush for cleaning bottles, several bottles and teats.
- Rinse the bottle and teats straight away after each feed.
- Use a bottle brush to wash the bottles, jug in hot soapy water and rinse carefully in running water.
- Rub Salt on both the inside and out of the teats to remove any milk or you can also dissolved salt in hot water with the teats. Rinse out thoroughly. (You can use a Glove to avoid allergic reactions from the salt).
- Put the washed bottles and the teats into the sterilizing tank and make sure everything is submerged. Let it boil for at least 10- 15 minutes then remove the bottles and teats using tongs. (sterilizing time for the bottles and teats depends on the kind of sterilizers, there are already high-tech sterilizing equipment)
Conserve water tips: You can use the sterile water for you and your baby’s bath.
- In preparing for milk, you can use a mineral distilled water like Wilkins, Absolute or boiled water for bottle feeding.
- Always prepare feeds when the baby is about to be fed and never make and keep feeds at a time and store it in a fridge.
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It must be hard but very fulfilling. 🙂
I’m scared holding babies four months and below as they are still so delicate even if they are overflowing with cuteness.
This is a valuable info. A must-read for every parents especially for moms and moms to be.
CS.. ako din! for both my kids! sad lang kasi kahit ang dami ko na ininum malunggay capsules e.. bottlefed pa din sila!.. it’s been 6 years since last baby care experience! ayoko ko na ata.. ok na ako manghiram baby for 30 minutes lol!
I’ve actually witnessed all of these from my sister-in-law. She also went through a C-section, with her now 3-month old baby boy. I may not have a kid of my own just yet but I am learning a lot from this part of life.
My wife also gave birth via CS last year so I know what my wife has been through.
Also being with them too is really challenging but at the end of the day, seeing them smile makes my worries go away. ^_^
i love seeing babies!! but indeed the task needs to be done and so feeding the babies!! its hard but its all worth it! xx
sorry that I need to say this but the tips on bottle feeding is not appropriate since we already have the Milk Code in the Philippines. Breastfeeding must be promoted and any promotion/advertisement that would encourage the use of baby’s milk and other related products (such as milk bottles) is strictly not permitted anymore.
Hi Bien,
Thank you for commenting. Breastfeeding is truly best for babies and I agree about the stringent Philippine’s Milk Code revised implementing rules and regulations. The tips on bottle feeding in my post is not a promotion and encouragement to moms. Mother still have an option to breastfeed or bottle feed their baby. Like in my case, when my baby turned three months, my milk production is not abundant no matter how hard I tried so instead of making my baby suffer from malnutrition because he did not get proper nutrition from a very low supply from my breast; The doctor and pedia recommended to bottle feed my baby. How I envy moms that have enough abundant milk production for their baby… Now that I am pregnant with my second baby, I am praying and will do my best again to breastfeed my baby.
The tips on bottle feeding here
The first four months was the most challenging for me too as my baby was awake mostly at night. Hubby and I take shifts so most of the time it’s either he was late or absent from work. On the other hand, the first four months was also exciting as our baby became very generous with her smiles and cooing. 🙂
I breastfed only for such a short time and became dependent on formulas. Much as I want to breastfeed them for as long as i want to, my milk was just not enough. I was still thankful of these formulas as my kids grew strong and not sickly.